Thursday, 31 May 2012

Hi, guys! So Cassandra Clare is currently on a promotional tour of the UK for the latest book in her Mortal Instruments series, City of Lost Souls. Since first reading City of Bones, I have been a huge fan of this series, so when I heard Cassie would be doing signings, I just had to go!

I had never been to a book signing before, mostly because I live in a town which is difficult to travel to the major cities from, but this time I was determined to go. Manchester was the closest signing to me, so that was the one I decided on.

Even though I got there hours earlier than the starting time, there was already a HUGE queue in the bookstore. The one thing that annoyed me was that the store wouldn't allow people to have their book signed unless they had a copy of the recipet, stating that the book had been bought from their shop! Since it's the end of May, and the book was released at the start of the month, I and the fans waiting already had our copies. Since both my sister and I where attending, and we didn't have enough money with us for two new copies, we simply bought one and had it signed to both of us.

We were in the queue for a long time, but we didn't mind because the fans were AWESOME. Seriously, I can't describe how friendly the other TMI fans were. We whittled down the time by having an in-depth discussion about how Magnus Bane is the best character ever.

Pretty soon my sister and I were at the front of the queue, and we finally got to meet Cassie! It was such an awesome experience to chat with her about the books in person. She was super friendly, and praised me for sharing the books with my sister and turning her into a fan, also.

Even though the bookstore had told us we could only have our copy of City of Lost Souls signed, Cassie was more than happy to sign extra books for fans. Luckily, I had brought along my copy of City of Bones just in case, and was able to get it signed, which I was thrilled about!

So that was my first book signing experience! I'm beyond happy that I got to meet one of my favourite authors of all time, and I now have two treasured signed books!

One choice can transform
you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as
unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue
trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting
questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and
love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by
celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended
with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions
and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen,
secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and
even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by
haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting
relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does
not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times
bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the
dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a
story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful
insights about human nature.

Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Goodreads Summary:In this dramatic
conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship
sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.

Life
can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura.
It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s
finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to
uncover the truth about her past.

As the first in a generation
that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the
Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with
all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an
attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect
herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own
heart.

After I finished reading Shine I went off into a “WHAT DO I
DO WITH MY LIFE NOW?????” state-of-mind but I think I’m sane enough to actually
write up the review now.

Shine is really hard to review for the simple fact that it
has completely left me speechless with all its awesomeness. I have so much to
say about it yet I can’t put the words down. This book was a tremendous ending to
one of the best book series I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

The plot is simply epic. There’s so much going on
that you literally cannot stop reading. I found myself looking at the clock in
the middle of the night thinking ‘I really should get some sleep now…’ I loved finally
finding some truths and answers about all the mystery surrounding Newgrange and
the Shift.

The characters in Shine are as amazing as ever. Aura and Zachary
are just perfect and I loved how much their relationship develops. They show
how much they are completely devoted to each other and it’s just so adorable! *cries
into tissue* I love how we get to see a more vulnerable side to Zach in Shine.
It just makes him even more swoon-worthy!

I have to mention the connection between Zachary and Logan.
I would just like to say that I will never be able to look at a shoe lace again
without feeling emotional!

There were so many fabulous scenes in this book. Including, of
course, some super-swoon scenes that will make you blush! The series came to an
epic conclusion that was simply perfect.

I’d like to thank Jeri for creating such an amazing series
and such fabulous characters that I’ve laughed and cried along with. Aura, Zachary,
Logan and the Shift are going to stay with me for a long time! If you have yet
to read the Shade series, you really must because you won’t regret it!

When
14-year-old Char­lie Blake wakes up sweat­ing and gasp­ing for air in
the mid­dle of the night, he knows it is hap­pen­ing again. This time he
wit­nesses a bru­tal mur­der. He's afraid to tell any­one. No one would
believe him ... because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four
years ago - the day before his dad died.

Char­lie doesn't know
why this is hap­pen­ing. He would give any­thing to have an ordi­nary
life. The prob­lem: he doesn't belong in the world he knows as home.

He belongs with the others.

My Review:

If there was ever a book series to rival Harry Potter, then
Talisman of EL is definitely the one.

Firstly, I would like to say thank you to Centrinian
Publishing for giving me the chance to read an ARC of Talisman of EL. I
didn’t really know what to expect with this one but from the minute I read the prologue,
I was hooked. I literally flew through this book!

Talisman of EL follows 14 year old Charlie as he enters the
world of Arcadia and discovers the truth about his life. He and his friends
find themselves in the middle of an epic adventure in a world very different
from the one they’re used to.

The story is told tremendously well and I completely fell in
love with the characters! They are extremely likable and I love that there was
even a hint of romance amongst all the action and adventure. I also loved the
relationship between Charlie and Derkein, it
adds to the story fantastically.

It’s a fast paced story that definitely
captures the imagination and can easily be enjoyed by readers of any age.

This is an amazing start to what is sure to be a truly
fantastic series and I can’t wait to find out what adventures Arcadia has in
store for Charlie and the gang next.

Monday, 14 May 2012

'But What About The Cover?' is going to be a weekly feature hosted by The Queen of Teen Fiction. I will be pitching two book covers from various countries up against each other to decide which one is best.

This weeks cover spotlight is on The Future of Us by Carolyn Mackler and Jay Asher and i'm looking at the US and UK versions of the cover.

US UK

I think that the US cover looks more relevant to the story but I've got to admit, I really love the UK cover. The colours are really pretty and the design is so eye catching. For that reason I have decided that the UK wins this cover battle.

Monday, 7 May 2012

I've been planning this feature for a while but today i'm finally going to launch it!

'But What About The Cover?' is going to be a weekly feature I hold here on The Queen of Teen Fiction. I will be pitching two book covers from various countries up against each other to decide which one is best. Because even though you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, we all love a pretty looking page turner right?

So, this weeks cover spotlight is on Divergent by Veronica Roth and I'm looking at the UK and US covers for the book.

UK US

Now, this one is a difficult one for me. When Divergent was originally release in the UK, it had the US cover. So, of course, that is the cover for my copy of the book and it's the cover i've come to love. That's the image that comes to my mind when I think of Divergent. But, in saying that, the UK cover is rather fabulous. The colours are gorgeous but I don't know whether it looks a little too girly.

Although the new UK cover is undoubtedly pretty, I think i'm going to have to go with the US cover for Divergent. What does everyone else think? Be sure to add your thoughts in the comment!

Fancy hosting 'But What About The Cover?' yourself? Go ahead! Be sure to share what two covers you're pitch against each other!

Sunday, 6 May 2012

Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape.

My Review:

Oh. My. Gosh. I actually couldn’t put this book down. I am not joking. I think it was surgically attached to my hand. Underworld was well worth the agonizing one year wait.

So, I was lucky enough to win an ARC of Underworld from one of Meg’s fabulous competitions. I was so excited to read it! This second instalment in the Abandon trilogy did not disappoint. The twists and turns throughout the book kept me up into all hours of the night trying to find out what was going to happen next.

Underworld gives a much better insight to the characters of John and Peirce. I loved getting to know more about John *swoon* because he was such a mysterious character in book one. We also get to see Peirce grow as a character. I loved how strong she became and how she was willing to stop at nothing to help her cousin Alex, who ends up in danger.

I loved the additional characters that we meet in this book. They add more excitement to life in the Underworld and they defiantly add to the overall story. I was also happy to see more of Mr Smith again because he’s such a sweet character!

The thing I adored most about this book was the progression of John and Peirce’s relationship. You get to see so much more of their feelings for each other throughout the story and how they overcome the issues they face. Some scenes made me need to go and open a window ‘cause they were, you know, HOT. And I love how Meg manages to keep some humour in all of her books, Underworld is no exception.

The ending is a bitch. Simply because it makes you need to read what happens next immediately! But, unfortunately, it’s going to be long wait! I’m so excited to see how this awesome story concludes next year. Be sure to grab a copy of Underworld when it hits bookshelves May 8th and if you haven’t read Abandon yet (how could you not???) then go read it!